Waiting On Your Hand And Foot
by Literature Fool
Summary: Graduation day has donned upon Hori and he's prepared to move on. But something is amiss, and that's...Kashima! That jerk isn't even there for his graduation! Seriously, how could she miss his own graduation? Hori, fuelled with a tide of rage vows revenge on her, not understanding her actions, but soon the truth is revealed. And this one doesn't spell out a happy ending.


**Okay this is the re-edited version of this chapter. Thank you Bruce Tsuji ****for taking the time to review my story. ****Your feed back helped made this story more grammatically correct. If there's anything amiss in the story I'll gladly fix it. **

**One thing you need to know before you read this is that I decided not to have the L last names in this. It'll make more sense when you'll read it. ****I felt that it would take away the essence from the Japanese graduation theme. Any way go on and read now!**

* * *

"Kateko Mimi" rang the principles voice as he called up the girl to receive her diploma and her handshake. She started to cry as she returned. She was always one to get emotional on farewell occasions.

"Kimiru Megumi" and another enters the stage. She was the second choice to be the valedictorian, but after breaking her arm and missing a month of school, her grades dropped a bit. But she still looked happy getting her diploma.

Right now the Ks' were going up, but soon enough they would be done, and then finally the Ms' would be called up. I'm going to be the second M to enter the stage: Masayuki Hori.

"Kurika Hondou" Ah, the joker of the class gets called up. Despite always being ridiculous, he was tearing up a bit. I suppose graduation did that to people.

But really now, I can't believe it's finally graduation day for me. Last thing I remember was the drama club preparing to do our play for the sports festival. That stupid Kashima was of course, cast as the Prince again and everything seemed to be going fine.

The play was the Little Mermaid. Not the play where there was a happy ending, we were doing the original one where in the end the mermaid dies and the prince marries the neighbouring princess. But I was sure we were going to leave an impact with this play. We had always stuck to happy plays with the Prince being the main character, but shockingly enough, it was Kashima's request to do this play.

Ah, I can remember it now...

* * *

"Hori-chan-senpai! I don't wanna do this play!" said Kashima cheerfully with her usual ring of fan girls surrounding her.

We were all in the drama club room deciding the roles for the next play we were going to do. It was my third year and I wanted everything to be perfect, so when Kashima said that I could _feel_ the vein popping out of my forehead.

"Oi, Kashima, you don't get to decide what play we do! We're going to do this play and that's final!" I can't remember the title but it was one of Nozaki's original plays that I got him to do in exchange for me doing the backgrounds for his manga. His plays were always really good and had happy endings, and no one ever seemed to complain about them, that is, until now.

"But senpai~ Why do we do the same old plays all the time, I wanna try something new for once~" she whined.

I swear I was going to throttle her soon. "Actually, that isn't a bad idea" said the girl who usually played the princess part.

"Eh?" Dammit, now there's a rebellion going on!

"I sort of agree with Kashima...can't we try doing something that's new?" she goes.

"We do always stick to plays with happy endings...can't we try a tragedy play instead?" says another.

"Yeah! Can we do a sci-fi play?"...and another

"Impossible, we don't have the budget for it!"...and another one.

"Actually, in the first place where do you get these original plays from?" I'll ignore that one.

Now this was getting bad. Nobody can agree on what play to do, and this was getting chaotic. And when it gets chaotic, nothing gets done in the end. No way in bloody hell will I let that happen in my third year.

"Hold it!" I yell. Thankfully they all quiet down as they give me their attention.

_Okay, I have to get this under control now. Nozaki's shit at coming up with tragedies so we'll either have to choose a old play or come up with a new one. But it'd be safer to choose one of the older ones. _

"Okay, I can't guarantee that we'll find an original play with a tragic ending, so can we all do an old play?" hopefully this suggestion would help.

"Then I say we do the Little Mermaid!" yells Kashima cheerfully.

"That's right"

"I really liked the old version of it!"

"The ending was so sad that it made me cry~" goes Kashima's fan girls.

_That actually isn't a bad idea... We already have some ocean props from a few years back, and all of the mermaid costumes are still in mint condition..._

"Hmph, then we'll do that play" I confirm with a nod of my head.

"Yeah!"

* * *

That was actually a really good decision. Lots of people starting choking up near the end when the mermaid died. The play went so smoothly that I couldn't believe it.

The props were amazing, the audience was great, and the acting was superb. And I hate to admit it, but Kashima was the best one there. I never knew she could act so well till then. Perhaps we should have tried a tragedy play sooner.

Well it's fine, after I graduate I'll be sure to enter a good university that'll let me build all the props I want. Maybe even direct a play or two. Well, who knew what the future held.

Speaking of the future, I wonder how Nozaki will do the backgrounds? I never did teach him how do the backgrounds that time...I should probably teach Sakura how to do them. She'll be ecstatic about getting to spend more time Nozaki, I can just imagine her happy expression now.

But I wonder if everyone'll be all right. Hopefully Wakamatsu will be able to deal with Seo. And Seo will have to learn to pass the ball to her team mates. And Sakura will have to confess to Nozaki some day. Mikoshiba will have to one day learn to speak normally. And someone else will have to keep that idiot Kashima in check and make sure she doesn't miss rehearsals. And they better make sure that her fan girls don't ruin the props for the plays. Most of all, they better make sure that Kashima herself doesn't ruin the props.

Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Kashima for the last few days much...was she avoiding me again? Well there's no point in worrying about it now, I'll beat the answer out of her later.

"Madao Riko" speaks the principal.

Ah! I was so zoned out I almost forgot that it was nearly my turn to be called up! Thank goodness I snapped out of it just in time to receive my diploma!

As soon as Madao Riko comes back, my name is finally called up.

"Masayuki Hori" I start to walk towards the principal with my head raised high. I see Nozaki, Sakura, Wakamatsu, Seo, and everyone in the drama club in the audience. Sakura, Wakamatsu,and Mikoshiba were crying and were shit at hiding it. Especially Sakura. Nozaki on the other hand, was taking pictures of everything. Probably for reference. Seo was asleep on her feet. Typical Seo. And the drama club was a bigger mess than Sakura. They were sobbing and crying all over their uniforms. Damn, everyone of them looked stupid. It was so funny even I was starting to tear up a bit.

Teh, wait a second. Where the hell is Kashima? Trying to look as composed as I can, I scan the audience for her, but she isn't there at all. How the hell could that bastard miss my own graduation! I'm so going to beat the shit out of her for this later when we walk home together.

Is what I thought the moment I was about to grab my diploma. Just then doors to the gymnasium opened to reveal a sweaty Kashima with a bouquet of very familiar flowers that I swear I've seen before.

"HORI-CHAN-SENPAI, DON'T YOU DARE EXCEPT THAT DIPLOMA!" she yells at the top of her lungs, which was so unlike her. Yes, usually she stuck to being her loud self, but never had I heard her raise her voice this much before.

Out of the shock of seeing her, I freeze just before I grab my diploma. "Wha..." No words come out of my mouth as Kashima runs up to the stage and climbs on top of it and stands in front of me, panting a little like she had run at full blast from where ever she was earlier.

"YOU BASTARD, THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP HERE!" I snap, finally regaining my voice. Of all the stupid things she's done before, this was the stupidest of all!

"GO BACK INTO THE AUDIENCE YOU FOOL! YOU'RE RUINING THE WHOLE GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR EVERYO-" I start to yell but Kashima cuts me off by pushing the bouquet of flowers into my face. "What the hell?"

"Hori-chan-senpai, please listen to me carefully!" says Kashima uncharacteristic like. She didn't have her stupid signature smile on (the one that made her a chick magnet). She was acting strangely serious, but for what reason could that be?

She takes a deep breath. She has twigs and leaves in her hair. Where was she earlier? The garden? Is that where she got these flowers from?

"Hori-chan-senpai" she starts then stops, her face turning a little red. Probably from all the running, she was panting earlier.

"Hori-chan-senpai," she starts again. "I never meant to to this here of all places, but I just couldn't stand the sight of seeing you and remembering that you would be graduating from this school and going off to university where I won't see you again. I can't stand that you won't be picking me up for rehearsals, playing tag with me, getting annoyed at me and then yelling at me" Oi oi oi oi , was she...was _the_ Prince crying?!

There were little water droplets forming in her eyes that looked like tears, but that can't be right. It was just sweat. That it, it's just sweat. Right?

But what was she talking about? Leaving the school forever? Impossible, I had still planned to meet up with everyone on our days off. It's not like leaving the school was a big deal.

"A-and I just had to tell you that...to tell you...*_sob_*" Oh dear god, she was crying as hard as Sakura and the drama club combined, no, even HARDER.

She literally had snot dripping from her nose onto her blazer, her nose taking on a red shade that made it look like a cherry, her bold eyelashes glittering brighter than a thousand raindrops, her tears like waterfalls cascading down her cheeks that had become red, illuminating her big, vivid, green eyes that always had a spark of cheerfulness in them that annoyed me to no end. But her smile. The one that kept me up at night thinking about, it had been contorted into a heart wrenching sob.

Did I make her do this? Was I the one who took away her smile?

"Kashima..." I reach out to try and touch her shoulder, but my hand doesn't touch.

"Senpai...please don't leave me all alone...*_sob_* please don't go...I never even got to have a proper talk with you...I never even said what I always held deep inside of me..." she sobs.

Her knees give out under her and she collapses onto the stage. "Waaaaah, senpai why did you have to leave me! Why was it you?" she wails.

Why couldn't I speak? My voice wasn't coming of my throat any more. Unable to answer her question I try to brush her tears away, but my hand doesn't touch.

I drop the flowers and drop to my knees in front of her. I reach with both of my hands to hold her, to make her pain go away, but they just go through her.

My hands fucking go THROUGH her. She doesn't even realize this, like she can't see me.

I couldn't touch her because I was already gone in the first place.

Realization hits me in the face like a brick to the head. The gymnasium and everyone started to fade away, leaving only Kashima crying on the floor, all alone.

This wasn't real though. None of it was real.

I remember now. On the day of the play, something had gone terribly wrong.

* * *

It was after the play had ended. Everyone was tired but had glowing smiles on their faces. Hell, even I was grinning like an idiot.

_Thank goodness nothing bad happened during the performance. The play was a tear-jerking success. _I look around and feel accomplished knowing this was the last play I would do this year, after all, third years had to retire soon.

Even though I was sad that this would be the last play I worked on, it was definitely worth all the trouble. But one thing was amiss...where the hell was Kashima?

"Did she go and wander off again? Dammit she was so much trouble." I grudgingly start trying to find her, asking her fan girls that were nearby first.

"Have you girls seen Kashima?" They shake their heads as an answer, looking worried themselves from being separated from their Prince.

They hadn't seen her either. Now that was odd. No way was Kashima smart enough to escape her fan girls. I know pretty well how vicious these girls can get over her, no doubt about that. Just remembering it gave me shivers.

But my question was still left unanswered; where the hell did Kashima go?

"Hori-chan-senpai~!" goes Kashima on the stage. Speak of the devil.

"Where the hell did you go!" I whip my head around to the direction her voice was coming from which was the stage.

Thank goodness we had already pulled down the curtains over the stage because honestly, she was a mess.

She had messed up her costume and had mud, twigs, and leaves all over her. Needless to say, she looked like someone who had been in a mud fight.

"Kashima what the hell did you do!" I angrily yell. We still needed those costumes for next year! The mud stains will be _impossible_ to get out.

She stops walking towards me and stops in the middle of the stage, fidgeting with something that was behind her back.

"Um, well, you see, since this is the last time I get to do a play with you, I decided to commemorate this occasion by getting you flowers" she shyly answers as she holds up a bouquet of flowers that were just as messy as her.

But that wasn't the worst of it. "Kashima, did you get those flowers from the GARDEN?!"

"Well, I didn't actually have time to get you proper flowers from a flower shop since practice has been so hectic and taking up all my time, so I got these from the garden just now. I'm sure no one will mind~" she lazily replies.

"You bastard you shouldn't take things without permission!" I say while angrily stomping towards her to knock some sense into her empty head.

I'm only 4 feet away from her when it happens. I was the only one who saw it since I always had to look up to meet Kashima's eyes whenever we were talking so I always kept an eye on things above too, and that's when I saw it.

The spot light directly above Kashima was dangling, the cord holding it about to snap. If that fell it would hit Kashima directly and she'd...

Hell no was I going to let anything happen.

Not bothering with words, I charge her and tackle her out of the way, just in time because the cord had just snapped, leaving the spotlight to fall.

Right on top of me.

The last thing I remembered was Kashima's face, looking paler then usual having lost her stupid grin. That was a bad move because if she didn't smile then she'd stop looking like Kashima, the annoying Prince that made me wanna kill myself.

I had always wished that she would never lose her smile, and vowed to stop anything that did, but it turns out I was the one who took it away from her.

Figures it'd be me.

* * *

I groggily wake up, every fibre of my being hurting as I do. I first try and open my eyes, but it hurts so I can only see through a crack in my eyelids. Things were a little blurry but I could make out where I was.

I was in a hospital room, no doubt about that. Out of the corner of my eye I see a machine, but I can't read it at all. Well, hopefully it doesn't matter too much.

*_Sob*"_ Don't leave me all alone!" goes a familiar voice, though I can't exactly tell who it was. It was a little hard to hear with this ringing in my ears.

"Senpai...did you know that I actually hate acting?" Now I know who it was. Of course it was Kashima.

And what she was spewing was utter nonsense, I knew that she loved acting more than anything, even if it looked like she wasn't taking it seriously.

"Acting always left me all alone on that stage, separated from you who wanted to act, but sticks to trying your hardest behind that curtains. I hate it." She sobs harder, her face contorting like she's in pain.

Oi oi, Kashima you look ridiculous, not like the 'Prince' at all. Where's your mischievous smile gone?

"The only reason I came to this school was so that I could act with you! To be on that stage with you was my everything..."

That's some heavy stuff you're laying on there.

"Neh, Hori-chan-senpai, did you notice that I was avoiding you these past few days."

Of course I noticed, without your animosity things are different.

"I'm sorry, but it hurt to see your face. It hurt so much. Just thinking that soon I might not be stuck to your side like glue...was heart breaking."

Damn I want to hit her. She's laying her stupid Prince lines on me like she does for her fan girls. Doesn't she know that those don't work on me. Gah, I can feel my vein popping out of my forehead again.

"Senpai I can see you vein popping out of your forehead! Can you hear me? Neh, Hori-chan-senpai?"

Bitch Imma put you on the ground.

"Senpai? SENPAI CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

To loudly and too clearly.

"You're parents are coming too, and Nozaki and the rest are at home. I'm supposed to be at home too but I just couldn't stand the thought of not...seeing you. "

Idiot, there's no need to worry.

"_SENPAI_?!" Oh for fucks sake, she's literally shaking me off the bed! Nurse, come get this idiot to a psychiatric center.

"HOOOORIIIIII-CHAAAAANNNN-SENNNNPPPAAIIII?"

That's it. Time for action.

Mustering up all the strength I have left, I grab Kashima's hand. She gasps at the touch.

"..." _Now_ she shuts up.

"L...p...t" I try to speak, but like in that dream my voice doesn't reach her.

"Wait you shouldn't speak!" she panics. "Wait here, I'm going to call the doctor."

Of course she'd be the only person in the world that tells an injured person that's stuck to their bed not to move.

She starts to leave, but she can't just yet. I wasn't done with her just yet.

I strengthen my grip on her hand. "Eh, Hori-chan?"

"List...up...rat"

"Eh, list up rat?" I can see the gears in her head processing what I just said. "Oh, listen up brat! Ha ha, that isn't a very nice thing to say, senpai."

Okay let's try this again, except better. "Don't...cry..." Kashima's face freezes.

"Senpai, you heard all that? Then do you know...?" Her cheeks have a red tinge in them now. Even with my bad vision, I can see it clearly.

"You...look...ugly..."

"That isn't a nice thing to say Hori-senpai! I was really afraid that you..." Ah, she's tearing up again. What a cry baby.

"I said...you look...ugly...when...you cry" Man it was getting harder to speak. It's like my lungs aren't letting me get enough air and it hurts to even move my tongue. But I had to tell her. This is my last chance.

"You...look...perfect when...you...smile" _*cough*  
_

"Hori-chan don't speak anymore, you're coughing up blood!" she says frantically. "I'll call a nurse so let go, I swear I'll be back." Dammit she doesn't get it, this is probably going to be the last time I get to speak with her.

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. The ringing has gotten louder too and I could barely keep my eyes open. Kashima seemed to be fading away from me again.

So this is what dying felt like. Well I'm not going to go with any regrets. I won't let that happen again. I won't let that fear of losing her override me.

With everything I have in me, I pull Kashima down, lift my neck just enough to meet her face, and kiss her. The moments our lips meet is like ecstasy, like just the impact of our lips meeting is like an explosion of emotions. There were butterflies all over me, fluttering inside of me in a flurry. I can't believe I'd gone this long without kissing the fool.

Strangely enough I don't know why, but I was expecting a moustache to be there. Suprisingly there wasn't even peach fuzz. Well, I wouldn't have cared if she had a beard.

Her lips were soft, tender, warm, and radiating heat. She isn't even wearing any lip gloss to coat those perfect lips of hers, it was all natural Kashima. She smelt just like chocolate, but I guess that was her; sweet, brave, romantic, bold, innocent, puts you in a good mood, but most of all cheers you up when you most need it, Kashima. I was melting into her just like chocolate.

Unfortunately though, despite it being a chaste kiss without tongue, we eventually have to break apart for air.

"W-wow" mutters Kashima. I can't see her, but I know she's as red as a tomato. I was too, after all that was my first kiss, and I can't believe it was with the Prince.

But I wouldn't trade it for another chance to live.

"Senpai?" quietly goes Kashima. I can't muster up enough strength to talk or move any more. I just hope that kiss conveyed everything I wanted to say.

It started to hurt to breathe. I think Kashima knew this because instead of going to get the doctor, she just stood beside me. She gently takes a hold of my hand and gives it a soft kiss. I hope she couldn't tell that I was blushing even harder now.

"Senpai, you're turning redder than me" speaks Kashima in her good-nature tone. Ah damn, was I smiling? She softly strokes my hand with her thumb. Her warmth radiating through me feels like bliss. I feel something hit my hand, little drops of water I think it was.

"Sorry Hori-chan, looks like I seem to be crying again." More of her tear drops fall onto my hand. They felt as soft as snowflakes. Fuck, looks like I finally lost control of my body because tears were streaming down my face, too. But I probably didn't look nearly as beautiful as Kashima did. Whatever she did she looked beautiful in my eyes, no matter what, even if my eyes could no longer see her face.

The ringing in my ears were slowly fading away, and the pain of breathing wasn't a problem any more. But Kashima's warmth was disappearing too.

"Senpai, you used way too much gel to make your hair stand up. You were trying to appear taller, weren't you?" laughs Kashima. Her laugh is like a twinkle in my failing ears. And dammit, how did she know?

"Hori-chan-senpai, I know you're tired but you need to promise me something; you cannot, and will not die. I'll permit you to take a short nap, but that's it!"

What is she, my mother?

"After you wake up we immediately start dating since you stole my first kiss. I was saving that, but I'm happy since you were the one who took it. I always did wish it was you. Ah, I suppose I was in love with you longer than you were with me" I don't know about that...

"But anyway, after you wake up we also need to do a play together! I wanna act with you, no matter what! Even if no one's around to see it, ya hear?!" Yes, yes, I hear you fine. Thank goodness you were speaking so loudly.

"And you'll be the princess and I'll of course be the prince!" Like hell.

"Oh and when we're older we'll get married and have 7 kids together! Their names will be Hori 1, Kashima 1, Hori 2, Kashima 2, Hori 3, Kashima 3, and Kashima 4!" Oi oi oi, those are dumb-ass names, I don't want our kids to be named that! Teh, and why do 4 of them get named after you!

"You're probably going to hit me if I ever try that though" Damn right.

"But we'll decide the names together later, neh, Hori-chan-senpai?" Hell yeah.

"Hori-chan-senpai, this isn't the last time, I _won't_ let it be the last time, but I want to tell you that...I will love you to death and beyond, but you aren't going to die on me just yet." Yeah, I promise I won't until I get to say these words back to you.

"Neh, Hori-chan-senpai, your heart isn't beating too loudly even though I'm saying all of these romantic lines." Because they don't work on me like those girls, dumb-ass.

"I'm sure the nurse is going to come and check up on you soon though." Probably.

"But I'll come visit you everyday, so you won't be lonely at all" Thanks.

"So you better keep living, ya hear?" Thank you so much, Kashima.

"And...I'll keep acting so you have to act with me someday too_*sob*_" I love you too.

The image of you smiling is burned within my eyelids, never leaving. Good ol' Kashima who's never going to change and who I will someday be taller than. And don't worry, I won't ever forgot you so you better not forget me or I'll beat the crap out of you.

I'll wait forever and a day for you, so you better do the same, Kashima. On this never ending spiral of life, you'll always be there, engraved into my chest, and one day I'll be there to say these words aloud to you.

I can feel my organs stopping, my heart failing, the beeping of the machine digressing into a single beep, but the sound of your sobs are louder than all of these.

Don't keep crying because that'll only make you look uglier, and that isn't the Prince Kashima who I fell in love with. It's the one who has that annoying smile of hers 24/7. The one that forced me to keep waiting on her hand and foot these past 2 years, the best 2 years of my life.

To my Kashima, I love you ever more and for eternity.

Thank you, my stupid little Prince.

* * *

**Ah dang I had tons of fun writing this, and don't worry there's actually an omake after this that might make you happier about the ending, but other than that, thank you for taking the time to read this!**


End file.
